Magazine Deconstruction part 2

Masthead

The masthead for this magazine is located at the top left corner of the front cover, just like the location of the logo of Q magazine. Both mastheads are located in the same position because, they cover similar genres of music. I think that this is a very good idea because, it allows more focus on the front cover itself. Another thing that I like about this logo is that the colour of it fits in well with the rest of the magazine. The logo is normally coloured red.

Central Image

The ‘model’ used for this front cover is the late Jimmi Hendrix. NME magazine have used a black and white picture of him to represent the fact that he is no longer alive. Also, the fact that he is looking directly at the camera means that the target audience will immediately be drawn to the magazine. I want my target audience to be drawn to the front cover of my magazine so I will probably use an image, in whichthe model is looking at the camera.

Barcode

The only significance of a bar code to a front cover is that the target audience will be able to buy the magazine. I will be using a barcode for my magazine because, the target audience wouldn’t be able to buy the magazine.

Skyline

I think that the skyline works well for this front cover because, it tells the target audience the basic information of what will be featured in the magazine. However, I will not be using a skyline for my front cover because, the target audience can look at the rest of the front cover for information.

Text

The type of text used for this front cover is different to the type of text used for other magazine front covers. The text resembles graffiti from some sort of shrine, which explains major events that had happened to Hendrix. It also resembles writing from a diary entry. It is almost like Hendrix is telling his story from beyond the grave. I wouldn’t use this type of text because, this edition of NME is a one off to celebrate Hendrix’s life.

Layout

The layout of this front cover is different from other front covers, which is a good thing. I like the fact that the text is surrounding Hendrix because, it symbolizes that he is the main focus of this magazine. However, I wouldn’t use this sort of layout for my front cover because, my magazine will focus on a number of subjects rather than just one.

Mise en scene

Mise en scene is basically the props that are used for a magazine. The model is Jimmi Hendrix and he is wearing a black and gold jacket with various coloured shirts underneath. His clothing provides colour to the rest of the front cover and I would want the model for my front cover to wear colourful clothing. If a model wore dark and plain clothing, it would make the front cover look depressing. A depressing front cover will not motivate the target audience to buy the magazine.

From looking at the front cover, I am assuming that the picture was taken during the 1960’s and it looks a large amount of lighting was used to emphasize the importance of Hendrix. I like the feature because, it brings Hendrix alive. Also, I think the colour scheme works well because the brighter colours allow the central image to stand out to the target audience.

It appears that the photo was taken inside a studio, which allows the model to really look distinctive and stand out. Hendrix only appears to wear make up for lighting purposes. For my front cover, I would want the model to have the same make up applied to them because, they would look plain and ordinary otherwise. Hendrix’s facial expressions and body language suggests that he is waiting for the target audience to buy the magazine. I would want the model for my front cover to look serious because, of the genre of music I am covering. It would be inappropriate for them to be smiling on a rock and indie front cover.